What's the Best Way To Handle the Tip on a Comp?

I've got a big comp at Caesars and I'll be taking seven other people to dinner at one of the expensive restaurants there in April. What's the best way to handle the tip?

In our experience, there are three basic ways to handle comped-dinner tip situations.

First, it's an unwritten casino tradition for the "compees" (the guests of the "comper") to spring for the toke. If your guests aren't aware of said tradition, you can invoke it, or you could just say something like, "Dinner's on me. Tip's on you."

Second, however, if you're treating guests to an extremely expensive meal, including heavily marked-up wine or alcohol, the tip can get astronomical in a hurry. In this case, and depending on how you feel about the compees, you might consider being a total sport and seeing to the toke yourself. Make yourself feel better, if necessary, by rationalizing that you're treating friends or family to a nice dinner for 15-25 cents (depending on how George you are) on the dollar. Turn it into an IOU by saying, "Tonight's entirely on me. You can treat next time."

Alternatively, you can offer to split the toke; that way the meal costs all parties 8-12 or so cents on the dollar.

Finally, you can gamble for the tip. Loser pays. This is a fun way to end a meal in a casino, especially if no one at the table will get hurt too badly by having to pony up a percentage of the big tab.

Bring a deck of cards along and cut the pack; low card loses. Ask the waiter for straws for each diner, then cut one; short straw pays. Ask the waiter to pick a number from 1 to 100; whoever gets closest to the number loses.

The main thing is knowing exactly how you want to play it before you sit down to eat. That way you don't back yourself -- or anyone else -- into an uncomfortable corner at the end of a nice comped-dining experience.

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[email protected] Apr-11-2023

Credit Card Roulette

I have a gambling friend (that some of you may know from
this reference).  When we went to dinner in a large group, he always presses us to play "Credit Card Roulette".  Everyone puts a credit card in a pile.  Someone shuffles the credit cards, then the waiter picks a number from 1-6 (or however many cards).  The "winner" pays the entire bill.

Ray Apr-11-2023

Asking them to pay?

I've never gotten a comp as large as apparently the questioner is getting, but I never would even consider asking those who I am treating with my freebie to cover the tip. If they volunteered to cover the tip I would split it with them, but to me, asking someone else to cover a tip on your comp is just tacky.

timtanium Apr-11-2023

If tipping is so important

I read often online about how "if you can't afford to tip, don't eat out" and tipping is so important to the industry.  

If tipping is so important to the industry, why can't you use your comps on tips?  I see folks complain online about bad tips/tippers.  Why doesn't staff ask about a casino policy change to allow comps to cover tips?

dchealer Apr-11-2023

Your kidding???

Good lord, when I receive a comped meal(s) I'm very appreciative and am generous with the tip and would never consider asking others to pay, it's unfathomable to me, PLUS I gift the host for his/her kindness. ($25 gift card, or bottle of wine)

Larry Rapsky Apr-11-2023

larry

did ellis island discontinue the 3 rounds of drinks for 2 in the coupon book?

Doozey Apr-12-2023

Speaking of losers

Does Trump tip?

IdahoPat Apr-16-2023

Timtanium ...

There are simply too many accounting games for the casinos and too many IRS laws for the employees that you'd have to dodge in order to allow food comps (which are a soft comp; your price as a consumer is significantly greater than the cost to the restaurant that purchased the food to make your meal) to count toward gratuity (which is a hard comp, since it's paid in cash).

Question of the Day - 11 April 2023

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